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The road to WrestleMania makes a stop at the Royal Rumble. The event takes place this Sunday at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona.
This is always one of the most anticipated events of the year, and WWE has a must-see card, with some great matches.
30 men and women will compete in their respective Rumble matches in order to earn a place in the main event of WrestleMania 35.
The titles up for grabs at the event are the Universal title, WWE title, and the Raw & SmackDown Women’s Championships. Several enticing match-ups will be fought for each of those prestigious titles.
The results that transpire during this PPV will affect the match card for WrestleMania 35.
A few unexpected returns and surprise debuts will most definitely be planned for the event. While keeping that in mind, we must be ready for some jaw-dropping moments to occur at the PPV.
Lets take a look at 3 big things that might go down in Chase Field this Sunday.
#3 Drew McIntyre breaks the record for most eliminations in a single Royal Rumble match
Since returning to the WWE, Drew McIntyre has become one of the most spellbinding athletes in the WWE. With his sheer power and graceful in-ring psychology, he has been able to have a plethora of great matches with all types of opponents.
The Scottish Psychopath has been groomed as the "next big thing" on the main roster so far, and it's clear that WWE has been positioning McIntyre as the kind of giant capable of standing up to even Brock Lesnar in a head-to-head encounter.
He has a great presence, and his mic work has vastly improved. Whenever he’s on camera, he makes you believe in every word he says. Whenever he's on screen, you tend to pay attention.
The WWE would want him to look strong even if he doesn't win the Royal Rumble match, and the only way to do it is by having him break the record previously held by Roman Reigns and Braun Strowman - if you count the Greatest Royal Rumble.
I for one won't be surprised to witness it go down that way.
#2 Vince McMahon screws AJ Styles
AJ Styles and The New Daniel Bryan are due to face each other in a WWE Championship match at the Royal Rumble event.
This week on SmackDown Live, Vince McMahon moderated the face-to-face meeting between AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan, which resulted in Bryan gaining the upper hand on Styles.
If the past few weeks of SmackDown TV indicates anything, it's that Vince McMahon wants to bring the real character of AJ Styles out.
And if history has taught us anything, it's that if a McMahon is the authority in any storyline, it's only a matter of time before they go back to their heinous ways of being dastardly villains.
This angle can lead to increased viewership for SmackDown Live, and the character development will do wonders for AJ Styles and Daniel Bryan.
#1 Randy Orton wins the Royal Rumble match
'The Viper' Randy Orton is one of the very few superstars who has won the Royal Rumble match twice. Only one superstar (Stone Cold Steve Austin) has won it 3 times.
If you believe in the dirt-sheet rumors, the match for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 35 is AJ Styles vs Randy Orton.
Orton has been phenomenal as a vicious villain. His heel character has helped sky-rocket him back to the SmackDown main event scene, re-establishing him as one of the top performers on the brand.
With Styles vs Orton, we get a breath of fresh air, and the WWE Championship picture will also receive a much-needed change.
Given the lack of depth in the SmackDown main event scene, Styles vs Orton seems to be the best possible option for WrestleMania 35. And for that match to draw more attention, the Apex Predator should win the Royal Rumble match.
